Fistful of Notes: Wandering Kid
by Blackened
Summary: This is an appendix to the Fistful of Notes series (yeah I know I said I'd finished but what the hell). Basically this fic is what Crave does next, after UltimeciaAmelia is destroyed and Crave is back in his own time.
1. Wandering Kid

**Wandering Kid**

Author's Note: I know I said that Welcome Home would be the end of Fistful of Notes but I've said that before haven't I? Basically I just couldn't leave Crave alone… there's quite a bit I wanted to say about him that I never got around to before so this is his story.

_Dedicated to Dacera, for her encouragement and friendship._

He hadn't got too far from the ruins of Amelia's castle when someone had caught him up. He had been alone until then, Shiva having returned to her place in his head, her presence still felt, keeping him warm.

'Sir!' the figure cried out running over to him.

Crave turned wearily, his body tired from the travelling through time, heart heavy with the darkness that surrounded him, soul stained with blood. 'Yes?' he sighed.

'Your weapon sir.' The figure replied, a young man in a torn white SeeD uniform, his blonde hair matted with blood and holding out a gun-blade.

'I'd forgotten…' Crave said dryly taking the weapon and gripping the handle.

It was similar to the Angelo he had lost in the past in that it had an identical handle and gunstock complete with hand guard but the blade was something else, an alloy of Adamantine and the armour of a Red Giant, the blade was a deep red and had a serrated cutting edge on the upper surface whilst a normal straight edge on the lower surface. From the base of the blade where it met the handle two black angel wings flared from the weapon at 45 degree angles to the blade. He had called it the Heartilly in memory of Rinoa Heartilly, the woman whose magic flowed in his blood, as he did all his gun-blades.

'So what now sir?' the SeeD asked nervously as Crave sheathed the weapon against his thigh.

'She's dead, gone… our job is over.' Crave said curtly.

'But what about Garden?' he asked.

'Go back and tell Vine that she's Commander now.' Crave said simply turning from him.

'What about you sir?' he asked tremulously, saluting.

'There's nothing left for me at Garden… I intend to travel, find my own place in the world.' Crave said softly.

'As you say sir…' the SeeD said uncertainly and walked off, heading back to the ships that were docked around the edge of the continent where the Castle had been, the wounded and survivors from the attack and the explosion of the castle embarking for the trip back home to Garden.

The truth was only his job was over, SeeD and Garden had other things to do, care for the poor orphaned children of the world, train them to fight, to protect themselves and the world. Esthar was in turmoil right now, the death of Laguna a couple of years ago leading to a civil war as various factions tried to gain control. Garden was too busy keeping an eye on Amelia to aid any of this, besides there was too many factions, if SeeD helped one no doubt other factions would want it too and so SeeDs would be against SeeDs which was not what his father had wanted.

Now that he had succeeded in killing Seifer and Amelia was gone, he had no reason to go on leading Garden and he couldn't return there because he didn't want to pain his mother, the sight of him reminding her of the man she had lost. She had been the closest to him, his father a distant figure, never really giving him words of advice or encouragement just pushing him to achieve. His father's death had caused her to breakdown, staying in her room weeping and brooding until she closed herself off, even to him and so the violent rage grew and his plan to make sure this never happened, even to the extent where it meant he may cease to exist had formed, but he had failed and so couldn't face her like this. His only companion now was his lover Shiva, the Guardian Force who had once belonged to his father until she had come to him when he was 13, three years ago. He didn't think it strange to be in love with a GF, they too had emotions, feelings, and needs, especially her.

He looked towards the east where he saw his next port of call in the near distance, a rounded forest, the leaves red and brown with decay but hopefully they would still be there for him and then maybe he'd head up into Esthar where he could find a place for himself.

'He said what?' the young woman named Vine cried out as the young male SeeD reported to her.

'Commander Leonhart told me to inform you that you were now Commander and he wasn't returning.' The SeeD replied formally.

'Damn him.' Vine muttered, pouting to herself.

She waved the SeeD away leaving her alone in her office. She didn't want this, being Vice-Commander was too much responsibility as it was. How could she tell Garden what to do? Sure where all the SeeDs feared and usually grudgingly respected Crave, they liked her bubbly personality but he was the cold bastard who was so sure of what was needed to be done… now she would start flapping about in a panic.

Vine started hopping on the spot, her neck length brown hair bouncing as she tried to burn off this nervous energy. Quistis would probably be upset about Crave leaving although she had been locked in her room for so long no one was sure she was even connected to this world anymore. Vine stopped jumping, her cheeks flushed as she sat in what was now her chair and looked at the paperwork that had piled up in the last couple of days… sure she could deal with this but did she want to? She saw what it had done to Squall and she didn't want the life drained out of her… she knew Crave only survived because of the rage that burned inside him, fuelling him.

Well fine Ultimecia was gone so all they needed to do now was heal their wounded and continue teaching for now, the Esthar situation could be sorted out if it got too far out of hand but not before, she didn't want hostilities between Esthar and Garden growing. She spread the papers across the desk and looked at them blankly before getting up.

'Screw this… I'll drag Crave back and let him sort this out, maybe sort him out for dumping it on me' she thought to herself and headed off to her dorm room.

Pale sunlight crept through the diminished foliage, the ground bare where the life had been drained from it. The whole area seemed devoid of life as if Amelia's clutches had reached this far sucking and clawing it all away in her anger and hatred. He needed there to be one of them here, to help him move on before SeeDs came for him.

Numerous clawed footprints scarred the barren earth but they were old and dry, the Chocobos had moved on just like everything else when the monsters had been drawn to the castle. Crave sighed and continued on, there were only mountains in the distance creating an end to the land but he knew what lay beyond them.

'You're determined to do this aren't you?' a soft voice asked him.

'What else can I do?' Crave said softly.

'Whatever you choose to… you say you have no meaning in life now your job is over but that's not true, you're free to do what you want now that's all.' Shiva told him.

'I have something I want to do now…' Crave replied with a smirk.

Shiva blushed inside his head as she read his thoughts. 'Crave!' she cried.

'What?' he said grinning knowing full well what she was talking about.

She had been deprived of all this in her eternity of servitude, watching all the relationships her bearers had for other people without them thinking of her being more than as a guardian, a companion, a tool for battle. His father had been the first to form more than just a "working" relationship with her but nothing like this. Crave had been transfixed by her since the first time he'd met her, summoned by his father in training to show him how it was done before he passed her on to him. Crave had been angered a little by that, how she was passed around as if she was just a weapon with no feelings of the matter. He would never give her up like that, if she wanted to go then she was free to do so, not that he wouldn't be cut up by it if she did, but he wouldn't give her to someone else without asking her how she felt about it or against her will. It wasn't surprising that he fell for her, his relationships with people were not normal due to the circumstances of his life, he knew a lot of people feared his temper but that was what kept him alive.

He loved teasing her with his thoughts of her as she lay inside his head whispering all the while to him.

Shiva stuck her tongue out at him inside his head 'You know exactly what… just what am I going to do with this mind of yours?' she teased.

'Whatever you like, just don't melt on me.' Crave told her suggestively.

Shiva rolled her eyes at him and sent a chill down his spine making him shiver.

Crave laughed to himself and continued on as the mountains grew larger and began to loom ahead of him as he drew closer.


	2. Decisions

She was truly alone now, she could feel it all around her, her love, her blood, gone, taken from her leaving her cold and hollow inside. She couldn't blame her son for not wanting to come back to Garden, the boy so much like his father she had expected this to happen once he had completed what was expected of him. She had tried so hard not to withdraw herself from him when Squall had been murdered, her own rage at Seifer's betrayal scarring her inside, battling with the grief at Squall's passing.

These feelings had hurt her so much that it was no doubt obvious to Crave whose battle intensity grew vigorously until he was feared by all of Garden. She had been in no shape to take over Garden, constantly weeping for what she had lost and taken to secluding herself in bouts of brooding, and so she gave it over to Crave and Vine Tilmitt for they knew what had to be done next. Just like Squall she knew what was to happen, Crave would send himself back in time, to spare everyone all this pain so that she wouldn't have to suffer this loss and Squall would still be alive, but she knew he would fail and she never told him of this for who knew what would happen if Crave didn't attempt what he had in mind. Quistis sighed softly running the furry collar of Squall's old jacket against her cheek soothingly as she sat in her darkened room, gazing out the window as she wondered where her son was now and what he was doing now he had hopefully spent his rage in killing Seifer.

His gloves were scuffed at the fingertips and palms as he gripped the rough rocks as he pulled himself up the mountains, pulling his feet into crevasses between the rocks as dirt and grit crumbled away beneath them, tumbling down in short meandering paths. Crave paused to get his breath back, the thinner air up at these altitudes making climbing hard going. The midday heat beat down on him adding to the exertion but he couldn't stop for too long, no matter how much the sweat ran down his face or how much his muscles screamed at him in agony, he had to reach the top and make his way down the other side before night fell and the chilling cold came and froze him.

'Wouldn't be much of a problem for you would it?' he thought with a smile and slowly pulled a bottle of water from his hip as he lay against the mountain face.

'Well shouldn't bother you much either if you can put up with me' Shiva retorted.

'Internal and external cold are two different things' Crave answered as he took a mouthful of water which was slightly warm but soothed his dried mouth and thirst.

Replacing the bottle he continued the slow process of dragging himself up the dusty surface of the mountain.

Vine Tilmitt lay on her bed trying to blank the world as the chatter of thoughts in her head continued on. Another problem with Crave dumping the command of Balamb Garden on her was that she couldn't go visit her mothers in Trabia. She never thought it strange at having two mothers and no father even with all the taunts she got. Then again Selphie and Xu put a stop to a lot of that themselves, the two of them a force to be reckoned with when they got going, which was why they now ran Trabia Garden together.

She had no idea who her genetic father was or if she even had one especially if she heard about what the legendary Dr. Odine was capable of was true. As for her name she knew it came from Selphie's first love Irvine Kinneas who the last she heard still remained in isolation in Esthar somewhere because of his psychiatric problems. She sometimes wondered what he looked like, what had drawn her mother to him in the first place back then before it all went wrong and she ended up with Xu.

So far her life had been a loss in the romance department something she often complained about to her mothers who simply replied that she should bide her time. Strange how younger members of Garden were quick to put her with Crave, but they were nothing more than friends, even if she desired something more. He was too much like his father and besides she knew of his secret affair with Shiva, strange as that may seem to her, but no doubt her mothers would say that love finds a way, and they would be right for how many people have judged their relationship as strange over the years?

She sat up, legs splayed across the bed, the black pleated skirt of her uniform stretched across her thighs, her hair falling over her eyes as she was struck by a thought. She knew where Crave would be heading now, he wouldn't be able to resist the action, which meant she'd have an excuse for popping in to see her mothers after all.

He jumped the last few feet, landing at the bottom of the mountain as pebbles and small boulders tumbled down behind him, pattering against his boots. His right cheek was red as blood seeped slowly through his grazed skin where he had slipped on the way down. The sky was turning red as the sun was setting, and in this enclosed space surrounded by mountains with only one side open to the sea, the sky was darker, crimson like blood. Here it seemed his luck would be better, the leaves in the canopy of the dome like forest were emerald green and the land seemed healthy, hidden from Amelia in its enclosure. He just hoped that what he had in mind would work and that he'd be able to get out of this trap once he had his hands on a chocobo.

He entered the forest slowly, rays of fire-like light falling through the leaves and branches of the trees in patches in the centre of the clearing. Crave waited in silence in the empty forest. As he figured the strange boy his father had encountered on his travels no longer remained, there wasn't even a strange man in his place. There was a rustle in the undergrowth and a small chicobo stepped out into the reddish light, unaware of who waited for them. Crave quickly crossed the clearing and reached the chicobo before it could run, he had to do this right since he didn't have a Chocowhistle. Luckily he reached the chicobo before it could bolt, gently grasping it by the sides and stroking its back making it call out in a high pitched squawk.

A large chocobo then appeared from the other side of the forest glaring at Crave with its beady eyes. Crave returned the stare and released the chicobo which ran to its mother and Crave slowly walked towards it, his hands spread out a little from his sides, still keeping eye contact. The chocobo kept a wary eye on him as he approached but stood its ground. Crave reached into his pouch slowly trying not to alarm the majestic yellow bird and pulled out a small round vegetable-like object. He couldn't exactly remember the name of the vegetable other than it was a Green, the favourite food of chocobos. If he remembered the lecture correctly though this green was more potent than the Gysahl greens that could also be used to summon Boko the chicobo GF and if fed to a chocobo had some special effect.

Crave reached out his hand, holding the green out to the chocobo. The chocobo cocked its head from side to side, regarding the green closely before reaching its long neck and taking the green from out of Crave's hand in its beak.

It ate the green in two short bites calling out cheerfully with its characteristic "Wark!" and gave Crave what seemed to be a friendly look. Then suddenly it started to ruffle its wings wildly and gave out a shrill surprised "Kwehh!" as its feathers started to change colour, a wave of red spreading from behind its beak and down its neck to its tail as the air around it cracked intensely.

'It worked!' Crave said amazed.

The chocobo calmed down as the crackling faded, its ruffled feathers settling and it started preening itself.

Crave got even closer to it so that he could stroke its neck, the feather warm and soft under his hand, the palms exposed where his gloves were torn. Slowly he pulled himself onto its back, which it calmly allowed his to do, turning around to him slightly with an inquisitive "Kweh?"

Holding onto the base of its neck he nudged it forward with his feet, it was time to see if what they said about those greens were true, he really hoped so cause there was no way he was climbing another mountain by himself.

She was stuck, who the hell could she get to watch over Garden while she took the Tiamat to Esthar by way of Trabia? Quistis would be the best choice, every one looked up to her but she was still in solitary not coming from out her room and even if she could get her out, Vine figured her mind wouldn't be on the task.

None of the other heroes from the first Ultimecia Event were left at Garden, Zell, Rinoa and Squall were dead, Selphie was in Trabia, and Irvine was long gone. She was the only child of theirs that remained and all the people at Garden looked up to those families, they were unlikely to listen to anyone else.

Vine placed a thick strand of her hair and nibbled on it thoughtlessly whilst her attention was elsewhere… there had to be someone they'd follow for the few days she was to be gone.

The chocobo flapped her wings as it skidded down the side of the mountain ridge, its clawed feet landing in the sand of the desert, sinking in slightly, leaving shallow footprints as it moved on at Crave's gentle persuasion.

He still couldn't believe it, he had created a mountain climbing Chocobo, something he was told was a myth but he'd never believed it, the Brands had had an ocean crossing chocobo, the one that helped Amelia get to her place of safety before Garden had been able to contain her when Seifer had stolen the Juction Machine Ellone from Esthar. Funny how the chocobo that made him target Dana Brand in the past was the same one that made him disbelieve the notion of only one type of chocobo.

'She still plagues your mind doesn't she?' Shiva asked him as he swayed slowly on the chocobo's back as it galloped towards the seashore.

'She wasn't like Seifer, she was a by standing target but I had to be sure, all help Amelia gained in her rise had to be destroyed. I wonder where she is now, I know she left Garden a long time ago…' Crave replied softly.

'You know she was pregnant at the time?' Shiva mentioned to him.

Crave froze momentarily at that comment. 'No… so I would've taken more than one innocent then… so she may be out there with a family.' Crave said finally as he unfroze.

'Could be… but the world has been very turbulent of late so who knows if she still lives?' Shiva replied.

'She would be the same age as my mother now…' Crave mused 'I wonder where she is now… no doubt she thinks me dead and is happy about it' he sighed.

'I thought we were going to Esthar?' Shiva said breaking his thoughts.

'We are… but a search for Dana Brand to maybe explain myself, unload this last demon of mine will be next to do.' Crave said smiling.

'So sure of yourself aren't we?' Shiva teased.

'Well I was raised to be.' Crave retorted as the moonlight grew brighter and the sky darkened, the desert erupting with the sounds of chirping crickets and the sound of crashing waves drawing nearer as the chocobo ran on.

There was no other way to go about it, she just had to leave Garden in the hands of the Senior SeeDs, it shouldn't be too difficult for them since they practically saw to the running of Garden anyway. But Vine knew there had to be a figurehead, someone who made the decisions, usually a number of opinions and group effort was a good thing but when it came to running such a place as Garden it was always nice to have someone to look up to for orders, it was part of being a mercenary, besides its nice to be able to blame someone when it all goes wrong, and right now Vine was blaming Crave.

Well she had bitten the bullet now, her rucksack was stowed in Tiamat's hold and was getting ready to leave, she couldn't just say that she'd changed her mind not after she had got the Senior's all worked up with orders and making sure everything would work out alright.

The dark navy blue airship loomed over her, slightly smaller than the Ragnarok or Bahamut but it had more flexible wings, numerous flaps and hinges allowing for better manoeuvrability.

She sat alone in the passenger cabin as Tiamat rose into the sky, white clouds soon obscuring the windows that surrounded the cabin. Her mind was wandering again, transfixed by the myriad patterns of condensing steam that swirled along the glass and faded abruptly. It was something she had inherited from her mother Selphie, a love of travel, of watching the world moving past through a window. However she hadn't inherited a tendency to sing about it though.

Her mind was brought back to reality as Tiamat began to descend on Trabia Garden.


	3. Reawakening Of Grief

Before she had even stepped through the main gate Xu was waiting for her.

'Vine? What are you doing here? Is everything alright in Balamb?' she asked concerned.

'Where's Mother?' Vine asked first.

'She's in the office, I was doing the rounds when I saw Tiamat land. What's so urgent that you wouldn't send us a message that you were coming beforehand?' Xu answered. 'Did something happen at Amelia's castle? We've only just got our SeeDs back, luckily we have few serious casualties' she added.

'Kind of… it'd be best if I spoke to both of you together' Vine told her, pulling the strap of her rucksack up as she fell in step beside Xu.

The rubble stirred in the silent ruins of Amelia's castle, shifting softly as some rose with a shower of dust, fragments of stone pattering down on the dry soil. Black wings opened as a figure stood up amongst the piles of tortured masonry, their monstrous visage blurring as the wings folded upon themselves and faded in the dawn, the figure reduced to that of a man in a torn grey trench coat, their short blonde hair lined with grey at the temples as sorrowful blue eyes gazed at the carnage around.

'This isn't the time to get sentimental!' a voice snapped inside his head and an apparition of a similarly middle aged man appeared by his shoulder, grey eyes staring out from under a fringe of brown hair, a pink line of a scar slanting between them, a reversal of the figures own.

'How many times do I have to say I'm sorry for killing you Squall? Do I really need to atone by sharing eternity with you?' Seifer groaned.

'Well you didn't listen did you? I couldn't give you the damn ring because I was a part of it. Takes two warriors' souls to create Griever and that's us.' Squall retorted.

'So how come I get to be the solid body?' Seifer said bemused as Squall drifted through a block of stone that once had been part of the castle tower.

'The ring took my soul and Amelia gave it your blood, since yours was the physical essence that's what you are, however it also means you're the one who feels the pain.' Squall said grinning at the end.

'So then what's the point of your incorporeal existence besides annoying me?' Seifer said sarcastically.

'I'm the wellspring of our magic, now have you done with the twenty questions we kind of have an urgent mission on our hands!' Squall quipped.

'Like what? Amelia's dead!' Seifer snapped.

'As she was meant to, but the world goes on. Crave still lives and he has fulfilled what he thinks is his purpose, if we can't get to him I worry what he may do.' Squall replied.

'Funny thing that, all those years I thought he was already dead. Why did you lie to us? Why not tell us he was your son from the future?' Seifer asked turning to him.

'I didn't know that much then, all I knew was that he was a SeeD from the future, it wasn't until later when he was born I figured the rest. It was strange enough to explain to those who were at Garden when he attacked, those who feared and loathed him as he grew up. I guess I didn't help by keeping my own distance, I'd already lost so many and I felt I was going to lose him as well so why risk the hurt?' Squall replied sadly, avoiding his eyes.

'So you think you can make it up to him now? He's already killed me once, I don't think he'd be too keen to see me again' Seifer said lightly.

'It doesn't matter! Don't you realise that with Amelia gone he feels he has no reason in life! He will either take his own or look for some problem to solve by violence because that's what he thinks he exists for!' Squall said seriously.

'And I was cursed for raising Ultimecia? Looks like your parenting skills were no better…' Seifer joked.

'Is that all you can do? Make glib remarks? Come on!' Squall told him and started walking away.

'Whoa!' Seifer cried in reply as he suddenly became unbalanced, stumbling forward to catch himself as Squall jolted to a halt.

'Damn! Keep up will you? Seems like I can't go anywhere without you either!' Squall snapped.

'Why walk? We have wings don't we?' Seifer retorted.

'One; I'm drained so we can't maintain our Griever form, two; I'm not in the mood for being attacked as a monster.'

'So how do we reenergise then?' Seifer asked.

'Like I'm meant to know everything? Maybe you could feed like a human? Wait… we need to find the ring.' Squall said his voice starting to sink with dread.

'What? In this mess?' Seifer moaned.

'Without it we're going nowhere, we're bound to it, it ties us to this world, it shouldn't be far… check around where we emerged.' Squall told him.

'Wait, why me?' Seifer groaned.

Squall strode over and went to hit him, his hand passing through his face like a gust of wind. 'Because I can't touch anything remember?' he replied.

Seifer gave a sigh of resignation and began searching the debris.

'So Crave has left you in charge of Balamb?' Selphie said thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair after Vine had explained everything to her.

'Pretty much! He didn't even tell me himself! He just vanished off the battlefield once the castle collapsed!' Vine replied standing at the other side of the desk.

'Don't you want to be in charge?' Xu asked softly.

'On my own? I'm not that crazy!' Vine quipped.

'We should be more concerned about what Crave will do next, at some point he will return to the past to stop Amelia's rise and fail, if he hasn't done so already. We know what he's capable of to complete an objective, I'm not sure we could deal with a situation if it occurred out of Garden.' Selphie interrupted biting her thumbnail thoughtlessly.

'Whoa! What do you mean he goes back in time?' Vine asked her eyes wide in surprise.

'It was about thirty five years ago, he suddenly appeared on a mission to kill Seifer. During the few days he was around he caused mayhem, causing a number of casualties and fatalities before Squall and Seifer supposedly killed him. The truth was Squall let him go after realising he was from the future, he didn't realise Crave was his own son till much later.' Selphie explained.

'So the fact I think he's heading to Esthar might not sound too good?' Vine said slowly.

'It depends, if he is affiliated with Garden then we could face serious backlash. However if they believe him to be a lone mercenary it may be just what the country needs to sort itself out.' Xu answered pragmatically.

'You think he'd take over? Become president like Laguna?' Vine said incredulously.

'I doubt that he'd be able to gain control through violence, besides I don't think he'd want the position himself just fix it so the internal fighting was over and some semblance of peace is made.' Selphie replied.

'No surprise there really it is what he was born for' Xu agreed.

'So what do we do in the meantime?' Vine asked.

'We wait and see what Crave does next. Make sure we're prepared for the consequences'

'But you already said he caused mayhem before! Shouldn't someone be in Esthar to stop him if he gets out of hand?' Vine retorted.

'Do you think you could stop him even if he did?' Selphie said with a smile.

'Maybe not physically but I could at least try and talk him out of it!'

'Might be a good idea Selph, some proactive damage limitation may keep the heat off Garden' Xu suggested.

'Very well but you'll be on your own Vine, we can't let it be known that SeeD is in Esthar it will make them jumpy. While you're gone I guess we'll have to keep watch of Balamb for you'

'Wait… that means I'm going to have to get to Esthar by foot doesn't it?' Vine groaned.

'But of course, Tiamat is too conspicuous to just drop you off' Selphie replied, grinning at her daughter's predicament.

'Grrr… just wait till I see Crave now!' Vine muttered to herself.


End file.
